beneke



2 Sheets-Sheet 1- (NO Model.)

" G. BBNEKE.

Clothes Bank. v

Patented May 3,18%?

Jw W W APHER. WA$HINGTOIL u C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented May3, 1881.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. q 04 -(No Model.)

' G, BENEKE; Clothes Back v o m /g2 5 7///////////4// 22 z U rrEo STATESPATENT ()FFICE.

GUSTAV BENEKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLOTH ES-RACK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 240,807, dated May 3,1881.

Application filed October 25, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV BENEKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New York, inthe State of New York, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Clothes Racks, of which the. following isa specification.

My invention is directed to the production of a folding rack for dryingand airing clothes, in which a large holding capacity is obtained whenunfolded, with a compact and cheap construction, and with conveniencefor setting the rack aside or for hanging it up out of the way whenfolded and not in use, and capable for use as a wall-rack.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the racksupported in position for use in its full capacity; Fig. 2, the rackfolded, inverted, and shown as hung upon the wall. Fig. 3 shows itsadaptation as a wallrack, and Figs. 4 and 5 details of the rackjointsand standard-connections with the footsupports.

Two standards, (ta, connected by cross-bars b b at the top and at ornear the bottom, are supported by foot-pieces c c, and carry pivotedracks cl (1, which, when unfolded, stand out in upwardly-inclinedpositions on opposite sides of said standards. These racks are supportedin pairs upon long and short arms 0 e, by which they are folded with andunfolded from the standards on each side in a manner to be presentlydescribed. The outer sets, 01, are carried by the long arms 6, which arepivoted at the opposite edges of the standards, whilethe inner sets arecarried by the short arms 6, which are pivoted to the inner sides of thestandards and out of the way of the close folding of the longarmsagainstthe said standards, and these racks, thus arranged, alternate'ininner and outer sets, so that the clothes will hang from each rackwithout interference and with ample space for drying and airing. Infolding the racks, the inner short arms, 0, close upon each otheragainst the inner sides of the standards, while the outer long arms, 0,close upon the opposite edges of the standards. In folding the outerracks they come against and serve to fold the inner ones.

A convenient way of securing the long arms is by sawing the standards soas to splitthem (No model.)

in the direction of theirlength, and fastening platesf within thekerf byrivets g, and pivoting the arms to the projecting ends of said plates,as shown in Fig. 4. When unfolded these rack-arms are supported in nwardly-inclined positions by having their pivoted ends out oblique, soas to abutagainstthe standards. The pivoted ends of the short arms arealso cut oblique, and when unfolded they abut against a pin, it,projecting from the inner side of the standard. In the example shown thestandards are of suflicient length to carry three outer and three innerracks, in pairs, making six on each side; but there may be a greater orless number, according to the height of thes'tandards. The securing ofthe kerf-plates and the pivots of the short arms bind the split parts ofthe standards firmly together.

The foot-supports must be long enough to hold the rack firmly when inuse, and as they stand out crosswise it would be impossible to hang therack upon the wall or to utilize the folding capacity of the racks forcompactness in setting it aside when not in use. These parts are,therefore, joined in a manner to allow the foot-supports to be turned inpositions parallel to the rack-bars, so that by inverting the structurethe racks will close together by their weight, their pivoted ends beinguppermost; and it can be hung by the cross-bar b upon hooks in the wall,with the footsupports in line with each other and flatwise next thewall. In this position there is no danger of the racks falling down whennot in use, and nofastenin gs are needed to hold them in foldedpositions. A convenient way ofobtainingthese turning foot snpports isprovided by dowelpins 43, formed upon the lower ends of the standardsfitting into and through holes j in the footsupports, which are alsoprovided on their tops with shoulders 70, preferably formed by a recessadapted to receive the angular ends a of the standards, and thus lockthe foot-supports secure when the rack is in use, as shown in Fig. 1.The foot-supports are held upon the dowel-pins by cross-pins l,which,however, do not act as keys to clamp the foot-supports over theangular ends a of the standards, but act merely as stops to prevent thefoot-supports from falling off in handling the rack, and allow thestandards to be raised 'sufficient to clear their angular ends from thefoot-shout ders, so that said footsupports can be halfturned in linewith each other for putting away, as shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 2 the rack is shown as hung in an inverted position upon thewall, and in such position it cannot be used; but in Fig. 3 it is shownas hung upon the wall by the top bar, I), so that the inner and theouter sets of racks on the outside can be turned down, and thus form awall-rack, whereby the structure is adapted for use both as aclothes-horseand as a wallrack, with large holding capacity incomparatively little space.

I claim 1. In a folding, clothes-rack, the combination, with the unitedstandards a a, provided at different heights with the plates f,projecting from their opposite edges, of the racks d d and arms 0 6,having beveled ends and pivoted, in sets one above the other at theopposite edges of said standards, to the said plates, said pivots havingsuch relation to the standards that the said arms will be supported whenunfolded, substantially as specified."

2. In a folding clothes-rack, the racks d and arms 0, racks d,*and thearms 0', having beveled ends, in combination with the standards providedwith plates f, to which the beveled ends of said arms e are pivoted, anda stop, h, for the beveled ends of the arms 0', the said arms 6 foldingagainst the edges of the standards, and the said arms a being pivoted toand folding upon the inner sides thereof and supported when unfolded,substantially as described.

3. The herein-described clothes-rack, consisting of the connectedstandards a a, the racks d e, pivoted upon the opposite edges of saidstandards, the racks d e, pivoted to the inner sides of said standardsand in positions intermediate with the long arms a, and the footsupports0 a, united to said standards by shouldered recesses or sockets and pinsM, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand and seal in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV BENEKE.

Witnesses:

S. STEINGUT, A. VELLAR.

